How to make the Big Kahuna burger

As well as being massively impressed with Quentin Tarantino's writing and directing you probably also left Pulp Fiction with a desperate hankering for a burger.

Samuel L Jackson extolling the virtues of the Big Kahuna burger is one of cinema's most mouth-watering food moments. Since it's not an actual fast food restaurant, we sadly can't try one for ourselves but we've done the second best thing. We chatted with Dave Watts, head chef at The Cotswold House Hotel, who gave us his spin on the Big Kahuna burger so you can try it at home.

Hopefully there'll be less bloodshed straight after...

Makes 12 patties at 160gm each

Preparation time: 20 – 30 minutes

Cooking time: 5-8 minutes

3 x Large onions (peeled and finely diced)

75gm Cotswold gold rapeseed oil

1x pinch salt

2kg minced Chuck steak from 21day dry aged beef

3 x large pinch salt

Good grind of fresh black pepper

20g Worcestershire sauce

5g or 5 x shakes of fish sauce (adds a great salty flavour, don’t let the name put you off)

3 x heaped dessert spoons of Dijon mustard

5g or 3 x large sprigs Tarragon picked and finely chopped

70g curly parsley (30g picked weight) finely chopped

To finish/ garnish

4 x gherkins/pickles (thinly sliced lengthways)

Spicy tomato relish

12 x large white burger baps (we make our own but you can buy great quality baps from your local baker)

Suitable melting cheese to your taste. I use Ogle Shield which is a fantastic unpasteurised Somerset jersey milk cheese, perfect for that melting, glossy, gooey burger cheese.

Method

Place the oil, diced onion and a pinch of salt into a heavy bottomed pan, place onto a medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown. This will take 20-25minutes. Be careful not to burn the onions; as they start to colour they release more sugars and will stick to the pan and burn more easily.

Whilst the onions are sweating prepare the herbs and the other ingredients to add to the mince. Place this all into a large bowl and add the mince. When the onions are golden brown remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature. When the onions are cool add them to the bowl of mince and mix well with clean hands, as if you were making bread, incorporating all of the ingredients. Cover and allow to cool in the fridge for 1-2 hrs. This allows the mix to rest and helps to gel it all together. Weight the mix into 160gm balls and flatten to your desired thickness.

To finish the burgers I char grill for that “tasty burger” flame grilled richness. Cook for 2 and a half to 3 minutes on each side. Half the buns and grill for a minute or two under a pre heated grill. Once the burgers are cooked, remove and place onto the toasted baps add the slices of cheese, gherkins and relish. Finally add the top of the bap and serve with an ice cold Sprite... altogether now (and in your best Samuel L Jackson voice)... ‘Mmm…this IS a tasty burger’.

Dave Watts is head chef at the Cotswold House Hotel. Rooms start from just £120 per person, with main courses at The Cotswold Grill ranging from £9.50 to £23.00. The Dining Room (fine dining restaurant) reopened in May. For further information, hotel and restaurant reservations, visit www.cotswoldhouse.com or call 01386 840330.

(Images: Miramax)